A Pennsylvania power plant home to the worst nuclear accident in US history will be restarted by early 2028, according to reports. The lone undamaged reactor at Three Mile Island plant will fuel the rapidly growing AI efforts by Microsoft, which signed a 20-year power-purchasing agreement with Constellation Energy.
In 1979, the plant’s second reactor suffered a partial nuclear meltdown after a coolant loop failed, causing the reactor core to overheat (see overview). No injuries or deaths were caused by the incident, though a small amount of radioactive gas and iodine was released into the atmosphere. No public health effects were identified, and the first reactor—the one to be restarted—continued to operate until 2019 before being shut down due to cost.
Energy-intensive generative AI applications are expected to consume 1.5% of global electricity generation by 2029.
See a deep dive into the power and water demands of AI here.
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